Faculty of Arts

Psychological Service Centre

The Psychological Service Centre (PSC) at the University of Manitoba provides therapy and assessment services to the community free of charge.

The PSC is a training clinic for UM graduate students studying clinical psychology. These student clinicians deliver a range of psychological services to the public, supervised by registered psychologists.

Emergency numbers
A counselor taking notes while talking to a patient.

Psychological Service Centre

The Psychological Service Centre

The Psychological Service Centre is the primary training clinic for the Clinical Psychology Training Program of the Department of Psychology at UM. The clinic has been in operation since 1968. All clinical psychology students provide psychological services at the clinic as part of their graduate training and are supervised by registered psychologists. The Clinical Psychology Training Program at UM is the only such program in Manitoba and is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association. 

We accept referrals for adults and children/adolescents from the general community. Sometimes families can be seen, depending upon the availability of supervisors. The PSC does not offer urgent or emergency psychological services on a drop-in basis. Some people seeking services might be declined if it is felt that the person’s needs warrant a more experienced clinician. In addition, we do not provide psychological services that are court mandated or involve other legal proceedings.

All information related to seeking or obtaining services from the Psychological Service Centre is considered health information and is therefore covered by the Personal Health Information Act.

The cost of operating the centre is funded by UM. Services are provided at no charge to the public.

A person is seated at a window looking outside.

Mission

To provide high-quality psychological services to the public and exceptional clinical training to students of the University of Manitoba by building and maintaining an on-campus clinic that supports access to psychological care, professional education, scientific research and community partnerships.

Vision

To be recognized as a centre of excellence in clinical training, education and research by supporting, challenging and engaging students to provide accessible and high-quality, evidence-based  psychological services.

Services

The PSC offers the following services:

  • Psychological therapy for adults, adolescents and children
  • Psychological assessments for adults, adolescents and children
  • Family and group therapy (may be available)

During the September to April academic year the PSC maintains a waiting list of individuals seeking treatment. Services available in the summer vary year to year.

Psychotherapy services are short-term (up to four months), which is the duration of a clinical practicum for the students. Both in-person and virtual services are available.

The PSC is NOT able to provide services to clients seeking reports for Child and Family Services or reports for the courts as these cases are not suitable for student clinicians.

The PSC does NOT offer urgent or emergency crisis psychological services.  Contact emergency services.

Our ability to accommodate service requests vary depending on the availability of supervisors and student clinicians. Cases are assigned according to the diverse training needs of the students, as well as the area of expertise of supervisors. Therefore, we are unable to guarantee services for all requests.

New waitlists are started for each academic year. At the end of the year, individuals who were not selected for services will be notified.

When on campus, all UM health and safety protocols must be followed. See all UM COVID-19 protocols. 

PSC Waitlists

To learn if a waitlist for a particular service is open or closed, click on the service you are interested in below. Please note that we are unable to offer services for children and adolescents during the 2024-25 academic year.

Treatment/Psychotherapy

Adults seeking treatment usually do so for problems related to emotional symptoms, interpersonal difficulties or other issues related psychological adjustment and stress. Individual therapy can involve a variety of treatment approaches, depending upon the needs of the person and the orientation of the student clinician and the supervisor. Therapy for adolescents can be similar, but adjusted for their developmental level. Intervention with children could involve play therapy and/or working with parents/families. All sessions are recorded, unless the supervisor is also in the room. These recordings are not retained as part of the person’s health record and are only used for training/supervision purposes and then deleted. Psychotherapy is typically brief and is usually concluded within four months. People who require long-term work for more persistent or serious problems may be advised to seek an alternative service.

Our adult therapy waitlist for the 2024-2025 academic year is now OPEN.
Therapy for children and adolescents will not be offered in the 2024-2025 academic year so we will not be maintaining a child and adolescent therapy waitlist in 2024-2025.

Psychological Assessment

Psychological assessment may be requested from the person seeking help or from another agency or clinician for the purpose of consultation. Most requests are for a diagnostic opinion that involves a mix of psychological and cognitive testing. An assessment often involves completing a pre-intake questionnaire, an intake interview, several hours of testing, a follow-up feedback interview and a written report. Both adults and children/adolescents can be seen. Not all referrals can be accepted and comprehensive neuropsychological assessments are not done at the PSC. Some referral reasons, such as involving significant financial, occupational or academic consequences for the individual, might be better addressed by an experienced registered psychologist, versus a supervised student. This should be discussed at the time of intake, if appropriate.

Our adult assessment waitlist for the 2024-2025 academic year is currently CLOSED.

Assessments for children and adolescents will not be offered in the 2024-2025 academic year so we will not be maintaining a child and adolescent waitlist in 2024-2025.

Group Therapy

Overcoming Anxiety in Pregnancy & Postpartum

Our Overcoming Anxiety in Pregnancy & Postpartum Group Treatment Program is currently CLOSED and the program will not be offered at the PSC in 2024-2025.

Learning Disability Services Clinic (for current UM students)

The UM Student Counselling Centre conducts a Learning Disability Services Clinic at the Psychological Service Centre. The clinic provides consultation for UM students residing in Manitoba who suspect they have a learning disability related to reading, writing and/or math.

More information about the Learning Disability Services Clinic

Academics at Risk (for current UM academic faculty)

Academics at Risk is a service for UM academic faculty who are seeking advice, consultation or short-term treatment for a mental health issue, particularly when the symptoms of a mental health problem emerge for the first time and the person is unsure about what is happening or about what to do about it. Academics at Risk is a free service offered by Dr. Hal Wallbridge at the Psychological Service Centre (Fort Garry campus). Consultations are also available to managers or administrators who are seeking guidance about employees with mental health issues. This service does not replace the services of the Employee and Family Assistance Program or other established mental health services in the community, which academic faculty would still use for ongoing care. For more information about this service contact:


Dr. Hal Wallbridge, C. Psych.
Psychologist and Director
Psychological Service Centre
161 Dafoe Building
University of Manitoba
204-474-9222
Harold.Wallbridge@umanitoba.ca

Other services

At times, clinical research is conducted at the Psychological Service Centre. Check back for more information on current clinical research projects.

Request for service

Contact the PSC by phone during regular business hours to determine if our services are right for you and to receive a link to our secure, on-line Request for Service form. To learn if a waitlist is open or closed, visit the Services section and click on the service you are interested in.

Phone: 204-474-9222

Mental health resource contacts

Public hours

Monday: 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Subject to change.

 

Holidays and closures

  • Closed for maintenance. Staff available by phone or email.
  • Closed in observance of Labour Day
  • Closed in observance of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
  • Closed in observance of Thanksgiving Day
  • Closed in observance of Remembrance Day
  • Dec. 21, 2024 -
    Jan. 1, 2025
    Closed for University of Manitoba winter break

Research

Department of Psychology

The Psychological Service Centre and Clinical Psychology Training Program of the Department of Psychology supports the role of science for informing and improving psychological services. Students and faculty of the program are involved in numerous research projects and labs.

Learn more about our research

 

Focus groups for a new, virtual group treatment for trauma

  • Are you pregnant or postpartum (0-12 months following your baby's birth)?
  • Have you experienced a very difficult event at any point in your life, including during or following your pregnancy, with which you continue to experience distress?

Our research group is conducting a related study titled, A Pilot Evaluation of the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of a Patient-Informed Psychological Treatment for Trauma-Related Symptoms in Perinatal Women with Interpersonal Trauma Histories.

The goal of the study is to develop a new, virtual, group-based treatment (Mamas United) for addressing emotional distress and symptoms associated with various mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder) in pregnant or postpartum people who have experienced difficult and/or stressful events.

Participation would involve:

  • 2 focus groups with other pregnant/postpartum women (approximately 90 minutes each)
  • 1 brief background questionnaire

As a thank you for participating, you will receive a $20 Amazon e-gift card for each focus group.

Want to find out more?
Please contact Sharon Chou if you are interested in finding out more about this study: perinatalexperiencestudy@gmail.com.

Principal Investigator: Sharon Chou
Advisors: Dr. Kristin Reynolds, Ph.D., C. Psych., Dr. Natalie Mota, Ph.D., C. Psych.

This research study has been approved by the University of Manitoba Research Ethics Board, Fort Garry Campus.

You may also want

Contact us

Psychological Service Centre
Room 161 Dafoe Building
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

Psychological Service Centre Directions (webpage)

Psychological Service Centre Directions (PDF)

Fort Garry campus parking map

UM visitor parking information

Getting to UM

psc@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9222
204-474-6297